Body found in Oglethorpe that of Augusta man

A body found in a densely wooded area in Oglethorpe County has been identified as an Augusta man, Oglethorpe County Coroner James Mathews said Wednesday.

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Joseph Marion Jakes, 76, was driving along U.S. Highway 78 about a year ago when he had a seizure, blacked out and crashed into the woods, Mathews said.

The body remained in a Toyota about a quarter-mile from the highway and hidden in the woods until a deer hunter stumbled upon the decomposed remains Monday.

The preliminary cause of death was ruled a blunt force trauma to the chest caused by a medical condition, Mathews said. That cause was based in part on Jakes' medical history, which included seizures.

Jakes' body and dental records were sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation State Crime Lab in Decatur for identification. Authorities were able to also use a replaced hip and personal belongings found in the car to identify Jakes, Mathews said.

The Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office quickly ruled out foul play in Jakes' death, focusing on a possible car wreck and investigating how the car made its way so deep into the woods.

Jakes, who was reported missing in Augusta, was found about a mile from the Athens-Clarke County line.